Persuasions Singer Sues Apple Over Jamie xx Song in iPhone Ad

Jamie xx's song “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” (featuring Young Thug and Popcaan), from his 2015 album In Colour, features a sample of the Persuasions' 1970s song “Good Times.” Apple ended up using Jamie xx's song in an iPhone commercial. Now, founding Persuasions member Jerry Lawson has sued the tech giant for allegedly using the track (which prominently features his voice) without his permission, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the complaint (obtained by THR), Lawson states that “Good Times” falls under the jurisdiction of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and its collective bargaining agreements; therefore, Lawson claims that Apple and its ad firm Media Arts Lab are required to have negotiated an agreement with him before using the song in the advertisement. Lawson says that Media Arts Lab did not reach out to him until six months after the commercial aired; the firm offered him the minimum compensation, he says, which he did not find sufficient.

Read the full complaint here. A representative for Jamie xx offered no comment. Pitchfork has reached out to Apple representatives for comment.

This is not the first time “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” and the Persuasions have been involved in controversy. When the song was released, the Persuasions’ Jimmy Hayes initially claimed that the group was not contacted about the sample, although Jamie xx’s reps stated that it had been cleared. Hayes later retracted his claim, explaining, “I was told about it but forgot.”